The end! Special thank you to ArmageddonClan for your reviews!
Song for the final chapter…
Almah: Warm Wind
-v- Omen Mortis -v-
-v-v-v-
.
EPILOGUE
.
Two months later, September
…
It was no use, Erik thought, somberly, sitting behind his drum kit in the basement. Not even practicing double bass drumming helped - his heart felt heavy. And why?
Gwen was gone.
She had returned to her college a week ago - which was way later than she was originally supposed to - having hung out with Jo, Ian and him most of the summer. In a way she had become a member of their band and had even been allowed to participate in the ceremony of burning René's bass.
"Erik!", he suddenly heard his Grandma shouting from upstairs.
"Come up here!"
Erik sighed and got up. His Grandma very rarely called him this way so it was probably something important.
"Look who's here," Grandma Stein said pouring coffee to…
… Gwen?
"So you still wanna go duck hunting?"
vvv
Ian was standing by the roadside, not far from his house. He looked at the grey skies thinking it might rain later. Or then again, maybe it would not. It was the first day of their senior year and Jo was going to pick him up that morning. His driver's licence was after all - and quite rightfully so he thought - suspended till next summer. The orange Datsun now caught his eye, approaching in the distance. Ian was somehow amused that each time he saw the small car he felt this pleasant borderline arrhythmia - and he knew this was caused not by the vehicle but by its driver.
The car stopped and he happily got in.
Watching the now familiar scenery of Rock Falls unfold before him, Ian couldn't help thinking what a journey last year had been. He remembered sitting in his father's car, exactly one year ago, looking at these same streets... And he felt he had been a different person. Allowing his mind wander further down the memory lane he remembered… how still in this sleepwalking-through-life state he saw Cyberpriest at the Halloween festival… And Jo. That day had changed his life. Or maybe it had been the following day, when he walked up to René. Things could have gone very differently.
He glanced at Jo now… Had they actually been snowed in inside the Datsun? Yeah, they had. As proof Jo had stocked even more survival gear in the trunk. But now thinking back to their early encounters, Ian's mind wandered to a random blurry memory… Had he actually carried Jo to the bathroom at the band initiation ceremony - bridal carry style? Yep, he had. But such a thing hadn't recurred after the incident and… now Ian found himself feeling almost sorry for this... The Ford Ka would have been a perfect from this perspective - the doors opened in such a way it was practically designed for easy bridal carry - even at the cost of potential damage to the cars parked next to it. What was he thinking? His Ford Ka was a goner anyway, its carcass stored in the backyard of Karl's garage, so whatever he was thinking, it would be impossible to try it out. And truly, what was he thinking?
"What are you thinking?" Jo asked.
Ian's mouth kind of fell agape. And he knew he'd tell her anyway.
"You can tell me."
He already knew she was going to be amused but not in a mean way.
vvv
Having met up with Erik in the lobby of Rock Falls High the three seniors walked to the message board. Jo went for her backpack, taking a sheet out.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Ready," Ian replied.
Erik just nodded.
She pinned the sheet to the board, right in the middle.
It said:
/_
/
WANTED:
A BASSIST
AND
A SINGER
WHO CAN THRASH
- AGENTS OF METAL -
/_
/
.
The band name was written in stylized Slayer inspired edgy letters... And then there were of course the contact details.
.
Ian looked at the announcement... and then at Jo and Erik.
.
Who knew what they'd become?
.
-v-v-v-
...
THE END
...
-v-v-v-
-v-